Approach road to Peddavagu bridge remains incomplete two years after opening

More than two years after a bridge across Peddavagu was opened in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district, incomplete approach roads continue to inconvenience motorists from four mandals, especially during the monsoon, forcing risky access and unsafe travel conditions.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: More than two years after a high-level bridge across Peddavagu was opened to the public, the approach road on either side of the structure remains incomplete, causing continued inconvenience to motorists from four mandals in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.

The bridge connects Penchikalpet and Laggam villages and was intended to ease travel for residents of Penchikalpet, Dahegaon, Bejjur and Koutala mandals to Bellampalli and Mancherial towns for medical care, education and other needs. In the absence of a proper approach road, motorists continue to face difficulty accessing the bridge, particularly during the monsoon.

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Before the bridge was constructed, residents crossed the flooded Peddavagu stream using country boats and makeshift rafts, risking their lives. Several incidents of people being washed away in strong currents were reported in the past. To address the problem and reduce travel distance to coal belt towns, the then BRS government sanctioned the bridge in 2016 at an estimated cost of Rs.30 crore. The bridge was opened in 2023.

However, the nearly two-kilometre-long approach road has not been laid so far. A temporary approach road constructed earlier has deteriorated due to repeated exposure to rain, making it unsafe for vehicular movement. Motorists are forced to slow down on the damaged stretch and negotiate a steep rise of about 10 feet while entering the bridge.

Dubbula Janardhan, a resident of Penchikalpet mandal centre, said the delay in forming the approach road was affecting residents of more than 50 villages across the four mandals. He said the situation worsened during heavy rains when the temporary road became slushy and slippery.

Officials of the Roads and Buildings Department said a proposal had been submitted to the government seeking funds to acquire around eight acres of land required for constructing the approach road. They said the delay was due to a shortage of funds and added that steps were being initiated to complete the work before the next monsoon.